Marcus Rashford ‘reality’ got here from Jose Mourinho’s lips after Man Utd sacking
Jose Mourinho gave an honest verdict on Marcus Rashford’s ability which speaks volumes amidst the Manchester United forward’s stand-off with new manager Ruben Amorim
Jose Mourinho had his doubts about Marcus Rashford‘s abilities to consistently hit the back of the net for Manchester United – a sentiment he made public after his departure from Old Trafford.
‘The Special One’ oversaw wantaway Rashford‘s rise as a staple for both club and country during his tenure at Old Trafford, which saw them secure the Europa League and the EFL Cup in his opening season.
Yet, Mourinho’s stint with the Red Devils came to an abrupt halt in December 2018, following a series of poor results, leading to his sacking. Subsequently turning to punditry on Sky Sports, Mourinho was probed about Rashford’s true potential.
Despite Rashford featuring prominently since his stunning breakthrough, under Mourinho’s watchful eye, he scored just 25 times across 125 encounters and the Portuguese coach voiced his scepticism regarding the player’s aptitude as United’s leading striker.
A video that has gone viral on X carries the tag: “Jose Mourinho couple of weeks after he got sacked by Manchester United spoke the truth about Marcus Rashford! Seeing this now and realizing that he has spoken the truth”
The clip shows Mourinho telling David Jones of Sky Sports: “For me, the point is not his age. The point is his qualities and for me, he is potentially a very good player.
“He’s a very good player in some models of play, he’s a very good player in some positions. As a target man, as a number nine, I don’t think he has the sort of goals that the top striker has.
“For me, he can’t get better as a number nine. He can get better playing from the left side, playing with another one as a target man but for him to be the target man in matches where United are dominant and playing against defensive teams and low blocks, I think it’s difficult for him.”
In the 2022/23 season, Rashford was unstoppable, scoring 30 goals in total, but has since tailed off significantly, mustering just 15 goals in his last two campaigns, reports the Mirror.
As Rashford faces tough times – having been omitted from United’s past four matches by boss Ruben Amorim after expressing his openness to quitting Old Trafford – a section of fans rallied behind Mourinho’s verdict.
On X, one fan posted: “Mourinho knows ball. It’s unfortunate he never got the support of the Glazers. Everything he ever said about United came true. And he is right about Rashford.”
Another fan pulled no punches, blasting Rashford’s stagnation and subpar effort. They said: “His all around game has gotten worse as he’s aged. He’s been more and more selfish the older he’s gotten as well as he’s become lazy in pressing.”
Given Rashford’s standing as United’s second-longest serving player in the current lineup, Amorim recently encouraged him to step up and carry more responsibility after their crushing 3-0 loss to Bournemouth. “If you have big talent, big performance, big responsibility, push forward everybody in this moment,” said Amorim.
“Some guys have a big responsibility here because they are here for a long time. This is maybe one of the lowest moments in our club so we have to face it and be strong in this moment. That’s what I want from every player on the team.”
